Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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1997-2005 R. Levine
Overview
Switching software is real-time event-driven:
The driving events are end-user actions such as dialing digits, lifting or replacing handset, etc.
Circuit-switched voice telephone software mimics the human interface behavior of historical electromechanical switches
Including incidental items like intentional post-dialing delay and nonsymmetrical treatment of origin/destination vis--vis disconnect (wireline switches)
Telephone switching software is often described or designed using finite state machine (FSM) formalism
Three isomorphic (equivalent) descriptions: Graphical linked points diagram Graphical flow-chart-like (SDL= specification and description language) Tabular row-column lists
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Historical Switching
Original 1876 A.G.Bell installations were point-to-point hard wired. Examples: Office to warehouse of same firm (like a modern intercom circuit) Palace to beach-house of the King of Hawaii Manual cord-board switching introduced in Hartford, CT in 1880s.
Teen-age boys pulled electric wires across the room and temporarily connected them in response to verbal instructions from subscribers Later developments led to standard cord-board: a desk-like panel with a retractable cord from each voice connection unit, and a panel in front of the human operator with a socket for each subscriber (and historically later, a socket for each trunk line to another switching center) Parallel historical development of common battery power and supervision technology also facilitated the cord switchboard
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Alternating current ringer (low maintenance) instead of previous buzzer devices with vibrating electric contacts subject to sparking, corrosion and deterioration Common (central office) battery for dc loop current using transformer to couple audio voice signal between two telephones in a conversation
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Switchboard Plug
Same dimensions used today for 1/4 in (6.35 mm) diameter stereo headset plug
Insulators Tip (green positive wire)
Note: use of red insulation for negative polarity is unique to the telephone industry. Other electrical standards (power, electronics, automotive) use red for positive.
Sleeve (only in Ring (red electronegative mechanical wire) Plug Assembly Graphic Symbol switches, Ring Tip Sleeve no standard Ring outside-plant color) Sleeve Socket Assembly Graphic Symbol
1997-2005 R. Levine
Tip
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Earphone
Note use of same CO battery (with audio bypass capacitor) for all loops.
Other telephone set not shown. Operator headset also in parallel with voice wires temporarily, not shown.
_ +
Microphone
Primitive Telephone set (dial, ringer, cradle switch not shown). No directional coupler here as in later technology.
Primitive central office cord circuit. Positive battery terminal grounded to minimize electrolytic corrosion. Audio frequency voice signals coupled via transformer. Does not show ringing power, sleeve wires, signal lamps and buzzer, operator exclusion switches, etc.
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Supervision Methods
In traditional telephone jargon, supervision describes only the aspects of signaling which relate to busy/idle status
Dialed digit information was historically distinct (called signaling) In modern cellular/PCS software both things are often described by the word supervision therefore, be careful about jargon!
Historical method to get attention of the operator was a small hand-cranked AC generator or magneto at subscriber end
Produced about 90 V ac, at 20 Hz frequency. Still standard ringing waveform for North America today
* Boys were replaced by more polite ladies in 1890s; operator corps was exclusively female until 1960s .
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Call Connection
Operator plugged other end of cord circuit into calld subscriber socket (the second syllable of calld is artificially stressed in telephone jargon to emphasize the spoken distinction with call)
Outer part of socket and sleeve (called C wire in European jargon) of plug carried a voltage when that line was busy. (No C wire in modern electronic switches.)
Voltage (if present) on sleeve produced an audible click in operator earphone, indicating busy line
If calld line is idle, cord circuit is plugged in, connecting voice circuit of both telephones and connecting temporarily the operator as well Operator presses momentary contact switch to apply 20 Hz, 90 V ac ringing to the calld loop When calld person answers, operator presses a latching switch to disconnect operators headphone from the cord circuit When either participant hangs up, dc loop current from common central office battery stops, indirectly operating a distinct buzzer and light on the cord board via a relay. Operator then tears down the connection by pulling both retractable cord plugs from the calld and calling part circuit sockets. Cords fall back into desk surface due to weights under the desk.
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Wake up calls (at pre-determined time) Re-connect calls accidentally disconnected* Notify busy line of incoming call waiting Set up 3-way (or more) conference call Connect call to alternate line when subscriber is away from home (call forwarding)
Note that modern feature-rich PBX, small business key systems, and some PSTN switches now do these things via computer control
Several experts have calculated that there are not enough people on earth to support the todays (2001) level of public telephone traffic using operator cord board switching!
*The GSM cellular system can optionally be configured to do this.
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Strowgers manufacturing firm, Automatic Electric, moved to suburban Chicago, IL, later absorbed by GTE, later moved to Phoenix AZ, now AG Communication Systems (partly owned by Lucent)
Stepper progressive control switches were manufactured world wide for many decades Electromechanical common-control switches developed by other manufacturers, such as panel and crossbar types partially succeeded steppers in the 1930 - 1960 decades
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Tip, Ring, Sleeve wires from Rank 8, column 7. Electromagnets and springs activate the motions of the wiper arm in response to dial impulses.
Rank 0 Rank 9
9 0
Ten places on each circular rank where a 3-contact assembly is located -- not illustrated in detail.
Axle Vertical Motion Rank 1 Many details omitted here Rotary Motion
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1997-2005 R. Levine
Strowger switches evolved into an assembly with a movable wiper switch inlet and 100 outlets (wire pairs with sleeve wire)
Stepper Switching
10 contact pairs arranged in a horizontal arc, selected by rotating the wiper switch arm. (Also a third sleeve wire in addition) 10 such horizontal arc sub-assemblies stacked and selected via vertical motion of the axle (actually the first motion is vertical) Single-motion (rotation only) switch assemblies were also used
Line Finder switch (mostly single motion) acts as input concentrator (inverse of selector action)
Wiper arm contacts act as the single outlet Line finder single-motion stepper typically wired to 10 subscriber lines, selects a line when that line goes off-hook Stepper starts stepping from line to line when any of the 10 lines go off hook, then stops when correct off-hook line is found analogous to operator responding to buzzer and light Multiple line finders wired in parallel to the same 10 telephone sets analogous to multiple operator stations with each having access to the same subscriber sockets. Number of simultaneous originating conversations limited to the number of line finder switches connected to those lines. Ten line finders wired to ten subscribers is non-blocking with regard to line finders. (Overall system may still block at later stages)
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Selector Switches
Line finder outlet goes through a transformer cord circuit
Connected to dial-tone generator until the first dialed digit. Then the circuit is switched through a chain of two-motion selector stepper switches, with a motion for each digit. Each burst of impulses (dialed digit) produces a rotary or vertical motion constituting the next stage of the wiper arm selection process Dial pulses from rotary dial (typically 10 impulses per second, each one approximately 60 millisec current OFF and 40 ms current ON) are passed around the cord circuit by special electro-mechanical relays
A relay employs magnetically operated switch contacts, so that current ON/OFF status in the contacts mimics the current ON/OFF status in the wire coil causing the magnetic action.
Special slow release relays hold the line finder so the 60 ms OFF intervals do not cause a disconnection
After turning and releasing the telephone set rotary dial from an angle labeled with a specific number, the returning rotation of the dial to its normal position produces 1 to 10 current impulses
Simultaneously, an Off-normal switch contact in the telephone set temporarily short-circuits earphone so clicking is not heard
Following a stage of selection motion, a slow release relay is automatically connected into that line to prevent further disturbance of that particular selection due to the succeeding bursts of dialing impulses Page 14 1997-2005 R. Levine
Incidental Information
Rotary dial label 0 represents 10 impulses everywhere in the world (except Sweden, where the dial is labeled 0, 1, 29)
However, touch-tone dials in Sweden use the same digit labels for DTMF tones as the world standard. Impulsive signaling must be converted at international boundaries to Swedish telephone system. But symbolic signaling (binary digit codes used in CCS7, etc.) is the same everywhere.
Alphabetic dial labels (2=ABC, 3=DEF, etc.) were introduced in New York City in ~1923 when subscribers complained about long 5 digit directory numbers.
Alphabetic dial labels were introduced in US, Canada, UK, France, Scandinavia and USSR (three cities only) but not all the same:
Examples: Q on French dial, Russian (Cyrillic A B... G ...F) letters in Moscow, Leningrad, Odessa,
Considered an obstacle to direct international dialing, alphabetic exchange names were purged from telephone directories in 1960s by international agreement. The anti-digit dialing league and other grass roots groups in the US opposed all-digit directories in the 1960s. Letter labels still appear on the dial in most of these named countries. Business users highly value so-called Anagram numbers such as 1-800FLOWERS, or 1-800-NORSTAR, 1-800-AMERICAn, etc.
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This automatically increases the call processing capacity (BHCA) of the switch as well
Each selector is both a traffic path and a part of the digit processing hardware When there is a traffic path available to the destination, there is also the hardware to respond to the succeeding dialed digits.
A stepper switch assembly automatically has enough call processing capability if it has adequate traffic path capacity
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Stepper Properties
Stepper switches are extremely reliable overall
Because of parallel path capability through a large stepper switch, the failure rate of these switches (when properly maintained) is very good
Failures affecting only one user amount to only about 1 hour cumulative in 20 years Failure of the entire switch is only 1 or 2 minutes in 20 years, and when this occurs it is mostly due to power supply or other aspects of the system
Inter-switch signaling between stepper switches requires electrical transmission of dialing impulses
conversion between modern digital signaling (common channel 7) and impulse switching is feasible, but slow acting European version of SS7 signaling allows transmission of one dialed digit at a time, but North American (ANSI) version does not send dialed number onward until the last digit is dialed. several earlier electronic but non-digital switching systems still used electromechanical switching (small relays) and analog transmission (example: No. 1 ESS), but digital computer central control or stored program control
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Susceptible to corrosion from sparking, air pollution (such as SO2 in the air, etc.)
Slow signaling
Cant take full advantage of CCS7 and other electronic signaling systems
Crossbar
X-Y
Rotary
Multi-relay
Rocking contact motion, but still rather complex and difficult to maintain. The last 3 were mainly used by independent telcos in North America. All here except Crossbar and Multi-relay were gross motion switches. Page 19 1997-2005 R. Levine
Common Control
Many of these electro-mechanical designs had separate relay assemblies to count (decode) the dial impulses, completely separate from the switching portion of the system. These so-called common control portions were analogous to the computer control in a digital switch. Once the desired destination directory number was decoded, it was translated by special purpose wired logic devices
One method for this was to use magnetic core memory of a special wired type (not addressable RAM like modern computer memory) The equipment numbers resulting from the translation were used to select a path through the switching part of the system.
The result of the translation was a code designating the proper bay, shelf, and switch outlet wire for the internal destination calls, or the proper outgoing trunk group for outgoing (other switch) calls. The first non-busy channel in a trunk group was selected by an appropriate special outgoing trunk switch. These systems first demonstrated the need for provisioning separately both sufficient call processing capacity (BHCA) and also sufficient switching capacity (Erlangs)
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Electronic Switches
ESS No. 1: Electronic but not Digital!
Computer control/stored program control (SPC) Analog Relay switching, using sealed contact reed switches
Most of the design problems for high reliability were addressed in this design.
Duplicated processors, etc.
* This term credited to John Iwerson of AT&T Bell Labs ca. 1960s
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Modern Digital Switch Subscriber Loop telephone set and Block Diagram subscriber loop
CO part Common battery feed and voice coupling
Amplifier and D/A converter
Receive signal
Ring
Hybrid and matching network
_ +
Tip
Transmit signal
Telephone set (dial, ringer, cradle switch circuits for loop length level compensation not shown)
Wire loop, up to ~8 km
Central office switch equipment. Actual switching is not shown, but is off to the right of this page. Audio frequency voice signals coupled via transformer. Ringing power, loop current detection (supervision) not shown.
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Due to large volume of use, integrated circuits are available which perform most of these BORSCHT functions ICs designed for line card in switch and chips for use in a low-cost telephone set are both available Spoken acronym SLIC /slIk/ sounds like another acronym, Subscriber Line Concentrator (SLC). Ask for fully spelled out version if context is not clear!
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Testing is usually done circa 2 AM when traffic is minimal Even so, if subscriber lifts handset or a call comes in, test is suspended until loop is again idle Suspicious test results are automatically reported to repair crafts persons Tremendous reduction in staff is feasible when their repair work can be scheduled, rather than waiting for an emergency, unexpected customer complaint, or loop failure! Most repairs are thus done before customer notices noisy line problems! Consequently, most unexpected failures today are due to human error or accident, rather than slow cable deterioration
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Block Diagram
Control Processor and Switching Matrix are duplicated for reliability
Line and trunk interface cards are not duplicated because failure rate on outside plan wiring is greater than loop or trunk electronics. Multiple T-1 trunk groups
Line/Loop Interface
Trunk Interface
Line/Loop Interface
Trunk Interface
Translation Tables
Each end office switch has at least 3 translation tables in its control processor
1. Internal line appearance number (ILAN) translated to directory number (DN) Identifies billing number for originated calls, and for calling line ID ILAN is a proprietary number indicating the rack, shelf and circuit card number of a line 2. Inverse table of above: DN to ILAN Used to route incoming call to proper destination line 3. Translates from NPA/NXX (or just NXX) into the proper outgoing trunk group to reach that destination.
Additions, removals, and changes in DNs are made by entries in these tables, not by rewiring the external subscriber loops.
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Historically, a switch can be configured with only line interfaces (no trunks) for use as an intercom or PAX inside a building. Seldom installed today since a standard PBX with both inside and outside connections is less costly than two track systems. A line module can be located remote from the switch location when a distant cluster of subscribers needs service.
Connects to main switch via T-1 links thru a trunk interface Subscriber Line Concentrator (SLC-96) is an example of this. PBX also performs this function, but has different signaling and is typically subscriber owned. PBX and SLC systems are not covered here In detail.
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State Machine
Standards, user documentation, or software design documents can be written in natural human language, but this often leads to misunderstandings and differing implementations Readers disagree on meaning of natural language, regarding sequence of steps, etc. Actual operational test of compliance to standards requires testing via inter-working against pre-existing implementations
Often, first-to-market implementations actually supersede the written standard when discrepancies occur
Finite state machine (FSM) formalism (also called Discrete State Machine -- DSM) serves this purpose SDL-Specification and Description Language, ITU-T standards Z.100 and SDL 2000, formalize a graphic flow-chart-like symbolism for this purpose.
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Some Simplifications
Strictly speaking, each combination of busy vs. idle telephone lines in a switch is a different state of that overall state machine
Because of the similarity of operation of all telephone lines, we can simplify the description by describing the telephone switch in terms of just the 2 (or 3, etc. lines for a conference call) involved in the conversation The distinctions due to different optional vertical features (call waiting, etc.) can be handled by means of a general FSM description which handles every possible feature, with clearly defined options to allow or deny each specific feature dependent on a data table entry defining the class of service (COS) for that line*.
We consider the states of one telephone and the aspects of the switch which relate to it, and also the events at the calld telephone as well. The general historical approach to FSM design is to describe what historical electro-mechanical switches do, and then program the digital switch to present the same behavior to the customer When new features are designed, feature conflicts sometimes arise. These include discovery of ambiguous operations, etc.
Feature conflicts are usually resolved by re-design of the feature at the human interface level.
*Some local service providers (e.g. SouthWestern Bell -- SBC) now allow all subscribers to use most previously optional services, charging on a per use basis until a maximum monthly fee is accumulated. Page 35 1997-2005 R. Levine
Simplifying Conventions
Certain events invariably lead to the same result, regardless of current state (whenever logically consistent)
Example: hang up of the handset leads to disconnection (this line idle) state To avoid pictorial clutter, this is omitted but implied in graphic point-line diagram. Shown only where essential for understanding.
Multiple states can be symbolically combined into one covering state to clarify the explanation aspects
All the internal details must still be explicitly defined for a working description (perhaps separate diagram) Example: dialed digit collection (digilator)
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Event: replace handset (note: some designs have intermediate state with 10 sec. timeout) Event: called by another caller.
Ringing state
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Idle state
1997-2005 R. Levine
Originate-Answer Distinctions
Most PSTN wireline switches actually handle disconnect differently for an originator vs. an answerer. Such switches disconnect:
immediately when originator disconnects after (typically) 10 second timer expires, when answering person disconnects. Distinction is software controlled based on a bit set in RAM
Many PBX and Cellular/PCS switches do not distinguish originator vs. destination (except for billing!!)
We do not distinguish in our diagram for simplicity If distinguished, two separate conversation states would be required in the diagram
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or
Valid digits
Digilator
Collect digits ~~
Idle
Lift handset
replace handset
~~
Inert Howler
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~~
Announcement: Please hang up and try again
Other Representations
Not shown explicitly in these notes are two other FSM representations of a telephone switch: Tabular representation could have (for example) a column for each state, and a row for each event Entry for Idle column and Lift Handset row is Go to Dial Tone state Entry for Dial Tone column and Lift Handset row is not applicable Entry for Dial Tone column and Dial first digit row is: Start timeout for inter-digit max time, go to next Digilator internal state SDL description comprises a distinct flow-chart-like diagram for the computer processing steps which must follow each event Proto-representation of the software in the interrupt handling routine invoked by that event.
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Time-Space Diagrams
In some cases the sequence of events and messages between different parts of a telecom system is displayed via a time-space diagram.
Time (not to correct scale) usually increases in downward direction Various horizontal positions (not to scale) represent different physical devices (subscriber set, end office switch, transit switch, etc.) in the system Only one (usually representing a successful case) event sequence is displayed. Destination Originating End Office Transit Distant End Station Set Station Set Switch Switch Office Switch Off Hook Increasing Time Dial Tone Dial Digits Recognize non-local number and extend to destination switch Connect Voice Channel Answer
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Ring
Use of diagonal lines (as in previous page example) emphasizes transmission time delay aspect
Often called a zig-zag diagram
Variations on a Theme
Similar diagrams in other subject areas illustrate sequential events at different locations
e.g., Feynman diagrams in quantum physics
Time-Space diagrams cannot clearly illustrate all exceptional cases in one figure
e.g. destination busy, or ring-no-answer, timer in software expires, etc. etc.
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Digilator Information
In North American Numbering Plan (NANP)
Initial digits 2,3, 9 (not 1,0 ; traditionally represented by N) are valid for local directory number
Subsequent digits can by any of 1,2,3,9,0 (called X). First 3 digits form exchange code NXX, remaining digits XXXX. Special treatment for 3-digit service codes NXX=911, 311, and in some areas 611, 411 etc. Digit Collection will be stopped after 7 digits (local call) are collected
Recently, mandatory 10 digit local dialing in numerous cities like Dallas.
Then further testing or connection required to determine if this number is in service, corresponds to a valid NXX, etc. Data for this decision may not be available in the originating switch.
The complicated cases are initial zero (0) and initial one (1) Initial 1 may imply:
service call: 1-411 for directory assistance, 1-611 for repair (initial 1 not used universally) Non-local (inter-exchange carrier) but in e.g. Los Angeles, just non-local first digit of 11XX, a rotary dial substitute for special feature prefix/code such as *69 (1169) for call back most recent caller first digit of 1010XXX prefix for selected inter-exchange carrier (e.g., 1010222 for MCI, 1010288 for ATT, etc.) Page 46 1997-2005 R. Levine
NANP Areas
US, Canada, and certain coastal* and Caribbean islands are under the NANP Each area has a 3 digit area code of form NXX, sometimes represented by the 3 letters NPA. In some documents, the 10 digits are represented ABC DEF GHIJ. Historically the B digit was restricted to 1 or 0 due to historical use of NNX for local office codes. No longer done (now NXX) Size of an area is dependent on total directory numbers in use in that area. High population density areas have required many area code splits or overlays in recent years and will again in the future Caller pays special surcharges is the source of questionable billing in some Caribbean nations. Beware of area code 809 and others... Certain pseudo-area codes are used to cover the entire NANP: 800, 888 and 877 for calld-line-pays long distance numbers. Actual target number is determined by a translation table data base using the succeeding 7 digits Call forwarding to existing line can be altered based on originators directory number, time/date or other factors Your call to Sears Roebuck or Dominos Pizza is routed to the geographically nearest store (central office) to your point of origin When calling some large firms, your call to the same number may go the the east coast customer service department in the morning, and the west coast department in the afternoon and evening.
*e.g. St.Pierre and Miquelon, French possessions off Canadas Atlantic coast. Also Bermuda, etc.
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Malfunction or traffic saturation of certain links (use of alternate path or route) Known or expected better choices for economic or traffic reasons
Time of day changes in traffic in various time zones Utilize different price strategies on leased or outgoing trunks
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DC (direct currrent) or baseband dial-pulse signaling 1900-1940s SF (single frequency) impulsive tone signaling for supervision and dialing. Needed for FDM multiplexing. MF (multi-frequency) dialing digit representations.
The above 3 methods are each historically called in band even when analog frequency band is not involved (for example, in T-1).
When digital multiplexing (eg, T-1) arrived, MF dialing signals and robbed bit supervision signaling was used. Many telephone networks formerly or presently use(d) in-band tone signals to represent dialed digits (DTMF touch tone, or another set of audible tones called multi-frequency MF) DTMF uses two simultaneous tones taken from a set of 8 MF uses two simultaneous tones taken from a different set of 5
*R2 and other signaling methods used outside of North America are not covered in this lecture.
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DC Pulsing Signals
Before dial telephones, for inter-office (inter-switch) signaling (usually in same city) the human operator connected through a trunk to another human operator at destination switch. Requests for a destination number were verbal. When subscribers ended the call, buzzers at each cord board signaled the operators to manually tear down (unplug) each link. Earliest step switch dial signaling methods accessed specific inter-office trunks in response to dialing the first (typically) 3 digits. The remaining dialed digits were out-pulsed in the same form as locally dialed signals (that is, brief 40 ms interruptions in the loop current) on the the same wires as the eventual voice channel, and operated the last stages of step switches in the destination switch. A long interruption in the loop current ultimately caused automatic disconnect of all the step switches involved in the call, just as for a local (same switch) call. This system was difficult to evolve further:
Required many permanently installed, directly-connected but not always frequently used inter-office trunks. Long distance voice transmission with electronic (vacuum tube) amplifiers began about 1914. (Before that, very costly thick low-resistance trunk lines were installed between some cities.) Amplifiers also required conversion from 2-wire switching (used in each end switch) to 4-wire switching in the trunk link.
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In each conversation signal in each direction, a single frequency (2600 Hz) tone was transmitted in the voice channel to indicate the absence of subscriber loop current.
Steady SF tone indicated that the channel was idle, or that the subscriber at the relevant end had hung up. Out-pulsing of the SF tone at the beginning of a call setup conveyed dialing digits as from a rotary dial.
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The same advantages and disadvantages still applied to MF encoding of the destination number Plus a new requirement:
Not flexible for evolving new services. Next slide shows and example where other information is needed.
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B A
from originating switch
Destination switch Blue represents trunks Used in call setup attempt. C Red represents trunk groups With all trunks already busy.
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Signaling System 7
Almost a world wide standard
Some variations in versions and features in different national telephone networks
Flexible
Message formats provide for future addition of new parameters
Reliable
Typical SS7 network has extensive duplication of data packet switches and geographically diverse alternate transmission channels, and includes continual built-in channel testing and route around failed links/switches.
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In addition to the standard parameters of each message type, new parameters can be added when required.
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SCP data base can translate 800/888/877 dialed numbers into destination numbers appropriate to the caller, the time of day, etc.
Callers to Sears Roebuck, Dominos Pizza, actually reach the geographically closest retail outlet, or the east coast customer order center in the morning and the west coast center later in the day, so order takers work shorter hours at each such location! Translation based on origination calling line ID and extensive data base relating each NPA/NXX to the directory number (DN) of the nearest retail outlet, etc.
This marketing name is misleading, because the network does not actually re-dial the desired destination repeatedly. It is dialed only once, after the originator answers the ring back.
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When the call is routed to the recipient destination switch, the destination switch connects the call to the internal subscriber line designated in a special translation table which relates such ported DNs to the physical lines (ILANs) in the switch used for that purpose.
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Beta Status
Aside from making it easier to remember all the different telephone numbers of your correspondents, System Beta reduces the problem of telephone number exhaustion by reducing the quantity of telephone numbers for most subscribers to just one or two, regardless of the quantity of lines in service!
In some cases most of the lines used by a subscriber will have internal non-decimal BCD digits in their internal network telephone numbers. This is not visible to the end user, but it stops the present growth in use of multiple decimal telephone numbers by subscribers.
Also permits blocking undesired callers by functional purpose (e.g., block all unsolicited sales calls) and other new optional features
FCC now considering System Beta due to above benefit and uses for the disabled (e.g. automatic routing of special 911 or teletypewriter for deaf calls)
Estimated complete one-time development and installation cost is approximately $7 Billion to the telephone industry (mostly administrative and testing costs).
At present the telephone industry spends about $1billion each year due to area code changes, with no end in sight to this recurring cost. Possibly additional $7 Billion in 2005 to 2020* to change to 4-digit area codes. Cost of all area code changes and 10-digit dialing to the public is estimated to be much more ($50 Billion to $150 Billion).
System Beta was tabled by the T1S1.3 standards committee which defines North American SS7 signaling message standards.
Waiting for direction from a major carrier or FCC to take it off the table.
Could permit recombining previously split area codes, restoring 7-digit local calling, in perhaps 2 to 8 years after installation.
*Industry predictions of date when 11 digit NANP will be needed varies with the source and the date of estimate. 1997-2005 R. Levine Page 65